| Unit | Dimensions | Weight capacity | Accessories | Possible exercises | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MaxKare Power Cage with Lat Machine  Check Discounted Price | L:81" W:45.3" H:87.5" | Cage: 1500 lbs J-hooks: 880 lbs Safety bars: 1600 lbs Pullup bar: 330 lbs | Lat bar, Short bar, Dip bars | 40+ | 2 years |
The MaxKare power rack is one of the home gyms released at the end of 2020. This particular model includes the lat machine. It’s a fairly sturdy power cage great for users of all levels. It offers excellent sturdiness and and impressive weight load capacity for a home use cage.
Key Features and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 81L x 45.3W x 87.5H inches (206L x 115W x 222H cm)
- Assembled weight: 193.5 lbs (87.7 kg)
- Weight capacity:
Cage: 1,500 lbs (680 kg)
J-hooks: 880 lbs (399 kg)
Safety bars: 1,600 lbs (752 kg)
Pull-up bar: 330 lbs (150 kg) - Upright bar positions: 14
- Possible exercises: 40+
- Accessories: Dip bars, lat bar, short bar for low rows
- Warranty: 2 years limited
Frame construction and parts
The MaxKare power cage features a steel frame made of 2.5″ x 2.5″ 14-gauge tubing. All the steel tubes in the 
construction of the cage are coated with a corrosion-resistant paint finish. The color used for the cage tubes is black, while the color used for the lat machine main tube, the J-hooks, and the safety bars is gray. These are the only colors available for this MaxKare power cage, at least for now.
The whole cage with the lat machine attached is 81″ (206 cm) long and 45.3″ (115 cm) wide. Without the lat machine attached, the depth of the cage is approx. 61.9″ (157 cm). The maximum height of the cage with the pull-up bar attached is 87.5″ (222 cm). Therefore, it won’t fit in a room with a 7-foot (213 cm) ceiling unless you don’t attach the pull-up bar, or you attach it upside down. Without the pull-up bar installed, the cage is only 80″ tall (203 cm).
The main upright pillars of the cage feature 14 adjustment holes for the J-hooks and the safety bars. The holes are 1″ (2.5 cm) in diameter. Thus, the cage is compatible with various other addons with standard 1″ connection points. Also, the distance between the adjustment holes is 2″ (5 cm).
It’s important to mention, though, that the J-hooks and the safety bars attach to the cage frame via screws. Therefore, you can’t quickly adjust their height if necessary. Whenever you want to adjust them, you will have to use tools. This may be an inconvenience if you want to alternate bench presses (bench not included) with squats, for example. But on the other hand, since they attach to the frame with screws, you can be sure that their connection is super solid. Also, the J-hooks have a layer of rubber material on their top side while the safety bars are not rubberized.
The base frame of the cage does not have pre-drilled anchor points. However, the unit is pretty heavy so this shouldn’t be necessary. Its base bars do not have rubber pads, so it’s a good idea to place and use the cage on a rubber mat.
The lat machine included with the cage features several heavy-duty pulleys with sealed ball bearings for a smooth rotation. The cables have PVC sleeves to prevent the scratching of the pulleys. The carriage of the lat machine element has 1″ pegs so you can load it with Standard weight plates. However, the set also includes two Olympic adapters so the lat machine can also be loaded with 2″ plates.
In terms of accessories, this MaxKare power cage comes with a set of dip bars that can be attached to the safety bars. The list also includes the lat bar, the short bar for low rows, and the pull-up bar. A barbell and weight plate set is not included.
Workout stations
This MaxKare Power Cage offers 5 main workout stations. These are: 
The main cage. Needless to say, the cage itself gives you the possibility to perform squats, curls, shrugs, or other exercises while safely using a heavy barbell. A barbell and weight plates are not included with the unit, but as a general idea, it is designed for usage with 7-foot Olympic barbells.
Pull-up station. This workout station consists of a 33.9″ (86 cm) bar featuring curved side grips which are rubberized to provide superior contact. This offers the possibility to perform all kinds of chin-up and pull-up exercises. However, it does not offer a standard parallel grip.
High-pulley station. This is the primary workout station for the lat machine. It offers the possibility to perform lat pull-downs, tricep press-downs, and a multitude of other high-pulley cable exercises. A lat bar is included with the set; it has approx. the same length and design as the pull-up bar.
Low-pulley station. The unit’s low pulley allows the execution of seated rows, stand-up curls, or other low pulley exercises. A short bar, approx. 16.6″ (42 cm) long with rubberized handles is included with the cage, especially for the low pulley station.
Dip station. The MaxKare cage comes with two dip handles that can be attached to the safety bars. They have rubberized sleeves for an improved grip.
Weight Limits
This MaxKare power cage offers a pretty sturdy construction. The cage itself is rated for a maximum weight limit
of 1,500 lbs (680 kg) while the safety bars are rated for 1,600 lbs (752 kg). The included J-hooks should be able to support loads up to 880 lbs (399 kg).
The chinning bar assembly is rated for a maximum user weight limit of 330 lbs (150 kg). So, as long as you don’t weigh that much, you should also be able to perform weighted pull-ups or chin-ups.
The weight capacity of the lat machine is not specified. Although the cables are sturdy enough to support loads of at least 1,000 lbs (453 kg), the pegs of the carriage are not too long. So, its weight limit is probably around 300 lbs (136 kg), similar to other cages in this feature range.
Possible Exercises
- Pull-ups
- Wide grip pull-ups
- Muscle pull-ups
- Behind head pull-ups
- Around the world pull-ups
- One arm pull-ups
- Cliffhangers
- Weighted pull-ups
- Chin-ups
- Close grip chin-ups
- Wide grip chin-ups
- One hand chin-ups
- Weighted chin-ups
- Hanging knee raises
- Hanging leg raises
- Dips
- Assisted dips
- Weighted dips
- Band-resisted dips
- Dip to leg raise
- Side-to-side dips
- Gironda dips
- Reverse Gironda dips
- Lat pull-downs
- Close-grip pulldowns
- Behind head pulldowns
- Aerobic rowing
- Kneeling rowing
- Biceps curls
- Triceps press downs
- Chest presses
- Single-arm chest presses
- Wide grip chest presses
- Close grip chest presses
- High-pulley crunches
- High-pulley twist crunches
- Seated trunk rotations
- Standing trunk rotations
- Stand-up leg curls
- Calf raises
- Squats
- Single-leg squats
- Kneeling single-leg squats
- Wide squats
- Twisting squats
- Jumping squats
- Leg adductions
- Leg abductions
- … and more
Of course, some of these exercises may require additional accessories which are not included. For example, in order to perform leg adductions, you will need an ankle cuff. And evidently, in order to perform chest presses, you will need a bench.
Assembly and Maintenance
This power cage requires complete assembly. However, since it’s not a weight stack machine like the Body-Solid G6BR for example, the task is considerably easier. You will basically have to assemble the base first, add the upright bars, close the cage with the top bars, then assemble and attach the lat machine, and finally install the safety bars and the other accessories. This may take more than an hour. The manual provides clear assembly instructions. Tools for assembly are not included so you will need two adjustable wrenches or a set of fixed wrenches.
Once the cage with the lat machine is assembled, maintenance doesn’t require much. All you have to do is keep the unit clean, periodically inspect the joints and bolts to make sure they still hold tight in their places and apply some oil on the bar of the lat carriage for smooth use of the lat machine.
The Pros
- Sturdy, all-steel frame – can support loads up to 1,500 lbs;
- 5 workout stations, power cage, including lat pulldown station, pull-up/chin-up station, low pulley station, and dip station;
- Smooth pulley and cable movement;
- J-hooks included – rated for 880 lbs;
- Safety bars included – rated for 1,600 lbs;
- Weight plate storage and balance pegs on the base bars;
- 14 attachment positions for the catch bars and safety bars;
- Sturdy pull-up bar rated for 330 lbs;
- Lat pulldown bar included;
- Short bar for low pulley exercises included;
- Dip bars included;
- Over 40 possible exercises;
- Quiet operation;
- Little maintenance required;
- Fairly easy to assemble for a home gym.
The Cons
- No footrest plate for low rows;
- J-Hooks and safety bars attach to the frame with screws; they require tools to detach and adjust;
- No support pegs for weight plates.
Summary
The MaxKare power cage is a strength training system made for home use. It offers a load capacity of 1,500 lbs for the cage, 1,600 lbs for the safety bars, and 880 lbs for the J-hooks. It comes with several accessories, including dip bars, a lat pull-down bar, and a short bar for low rows. It’s a versatile strength training system that allows the execution of over 40 exercises involving most muscle groups.